Mineral Resources

The mineral resource is the place where valuable minerals are found in a concentration that may or may not be worth the money it takes to get them. Technology, the needs of the economy, and the prices in the market all depend on when and how the rock/mineral is used. For example, stone from a quarry is used for road construction, and the stone blocks from the rock mass are used to build stone structures or polish slabs. Rock bauxite is used to make aluminium, iron, and porcelain. Hematite is used to make iron, and kaolin is used to make porcelain. Less pure clay is used to make ceramics, and less pure clay is used to make tiles or bricks. In the Earth’s crust, different geological processes create ore deposits. These deposits are full of minerals or ores that can be mined and make money. In this case, the mineral resource is called a mineral or ore reserve.

Ferrous Mineral

Ferrous minerals, such as iron ore, manganese, and chromite, provide a solid foundation for the growth of metallurgical enterprises. Our country is strategically located in terms of ferrous mineral deposits and output.

Iron Ore

India is fortunate to have a relatively ample supply of iron ore. It possesses Asia’s greatest iron ore reserve. Haematite and magnetite are the two primary forms of mineral found in our nation. Due to its outstanding quality, it is in high demand on the international market. Iron ore mines are located in close proximity to coal deposits in the country’s northeastern plateau region, which benefits them. Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu account for approximately 95% of total iron ore deposits. Iron ore is found in Odisha’s Sundargarh, Mayurbhanj, and Jhar hill ranges. Gurumahisani, Sulaipat, Badampahar (Mayurbhaj), Kiruburu (Kendujhar), and Bonai are significant mines (Sundergarh). Jharkhand, which shares similar hill ranges, is home to some of the world’s oldest iron ore mines and the majority of iron and steel mills. The majority of significant mines, such as Noamundi and Gua, are located in the districts of Poorbi and Pashchimi Singhbhum. Additionally, this belt encompasses Durg, Dantewada, and Bailadila. Dalli and Rajhara near Durg are the country’s two largest iron ore mines.

Manganese

Manganese is a critical raw ingredient in the smelting of iron ore and is also utilised in the production of ferro alloys. Manganese deposits are found in practically every geological formation, but they are most abundant in the Dharwar system. Odisha is the state that produces the most manganese. The state’s major mines are concentrated in the central portion of India’s iron ore belt, specifically at Bonai, Kendujhar, Sundergarh, Gangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi, and Bolangir.

Non-Ferrous Minerals

Except for bauxite, India is deficient in non-ferrous metallic minerals.

Bauxite

Bauxite is the ore that is used to make aluminium. Bauxite is found mostly in tertiary deposits and is related with laterite rocks found extensively throughout peninsular India’s plateaus and hill ranges, as well as along the country’s coastline regions. Odisha is the state that produces the most bauxite. The leading producers are Kalahandi and Sambalpur. Bolangir and Koraput are the other two places that have seen an increase in production. Lohardaga’s peatlands in Jharkhand have abundant deposits. Other notable producers include Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Gujarat’s main deposits are located at Bhavnagar and Jamnagar. Chhattisgarh’s Amarkantak plateau contains significant bauxite deposits, whereas M.P. KatniJabalpur area and Balaghat include significant bauxite deposits. Kolaba, Thane, Ratnagiri, Satara, Pune, and Kolhapur are significant producers in Maharashtra. Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Goa are all minor bauxite producers.

Copper

Copper is a critical component of the electrical sector since it is used to manufacture cables, electric motors, transformers, and generators. It is malleable, ductile, and alloyable. Additionally, it is used with gold to strengthen jewellery. Copper deposits are concentrated in Jharkhand’s Singhbhum region, Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district, and Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu and Alwar districts. Copper is produced in small quantities in Agnigundala in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, Chitradurg and Hasan districts of Karnataka, and South Arcot district of Karnataka (Tamil Nadu).

Non-metallic Minerals

Mica is the most important non-metallic mineral produced in India. Limestone, dolomite, and phosphate are the additional minerals exploited for local usage.

Mica

Mica is mostly employed in electrical and electronic applications. It is capable of being divided into extremely thin sheets that are both robust and flexible. Mica is produced in India mostly in Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Rajasthan, with lesser amounts produced in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, and Madhya Pradesh. Mica of superior grade is mined in Jharkhand over a band extending approximately 150 kilometres in length and 22 kilometres in width across the lower Hazaribagh plateau. Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh produces the highest quality mica. The mica belt in Rajasthan stretches around 320 kilometres from Jaipur to Bhilwara and surrounds Udaipur. Mica deposits are also found in the Karnataka districts of Mysore and Hasan, Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, Tiruchirapalli, Madurai, and Kanyakumari, Kerala’s Alleppey, Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri, and West Bengal’s Purulia and Bankura.

Energy Resources

Mineral fuels are necessary for power generation in agriculture, manufacturing, transportation, and other areas of the economy. Mineral fuels such as coal, petroleum, and natural gas (collectively referred to as fossil fuels), as well as nuclear energy minerals, are the conventional energy sources. These conventional sources are finite.

Coal

Coal is a vital material that is primarily used in the production of thermal energy and the smelting of iron ore. Coal is found mostly in two geological periods, Gondwana and tertiary deposits. Around 80% of India’s coal reserves are bituminous and of non-coking grade. The Damodar Valley is home to India’s most significant Gondwana coal deposits.

They are located in the Jharkhand-Bengal coal belt, and the region’s major coal fields include Raniganj, Jharia, Bokaro, Giridih, and Karanpura. The largest coal field is at Jharia, followed by Raniganj. Godavari, Mahanadi, and Some are the other river valleys connected with coal. Singrauli in Madhya Pradesh (a portion of the Singrauli coal field is in Uttar Pradesh), Korba in Chhattisgarh, Talcher and Rampur in Odisha, Chanda–Wardha, Kamptee, and Bander in Maharashtra, and Singareni in Telangana and Pandur in Andhra Pradesh are the major coal mining centres.

Petroleum

Crude petroleum is a mixture of liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons with different chemical compositions, colours, and specific gravities. It is a necessary component of all internal combustion engines found in automobiles, trains, and aircraft. Myriad petrochemical businesses process its numerous by-products, including fertiliser, synthetic rubber, synthetic fibre, pharmaceuticals, vaseline, lubricants, wax, soap, and cosmetics.

Crude petroleum is found in tertiary sedimentary strata. Oil exploration and production began in earnest following the establishment of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission in 1956. Until 1956, Digboi in Assam was the sole oil producing region. Recent years have seen the discovery of new oil reserves in the country’s extreme western and eastern regions. Digboi, Naharkatiya, and Moran are significant oil producing areas in Assam.

Oil collected from wells is crude oil, which has a high concentration of contaminants. It is not suitable for direct use. It requires refinement. In India, there are two types of refineries: field-based and market-based. Digboi is a field-based refinery, whereas Barauni is a market-based refinery.

Non-Conventional Energy Sources

Coal, petroleum, natural gas, and nuclear energy all rely on finite raw materials. Only renewable energy sources such as sun, wind, hydro geothermal, and biomass are considered sustainable energy resources. These energy sources are more evenly distributed and less damaging to the environment. After initial costs are covered, non-conventional energy sources will supply more reliable, eco-friendly, and affordable energy.

Nuclear Energy Resources

Nuclear energy has recently emerged as a potential source of energy. Uranium and thorium are critical minerals for nuclear energy development. The Dharwar rocks have uranium reserves. Uranium ores have been discovered in many areas throughout the Singhbhum Copper belt. Additionally, it is found in the districts of Udaipur, Alwar, and Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan, Durg in Chhattisgarh, Bhandara in Maharashtra, and Kullu in Himachal Pradesh. Thorium is mostly derived from monazite and ilmenite found in the sands of the Kerala and Tamil Nadu coasts. The world’s richest monazite deposits are located in Kerala’s Palakkad and Kollam districts, near Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh, and in Odisha’s Mahanadi River delta.

Solar Energy

Solar energy can be generated when the sun’s rays are captured in photovoltaic cells. Photovoltaics and solar thermal technologies are two highly effective processes for harnessing solar energy. Solar thermal energy provides a number of relative advantages over other non-renewable energy sources. It is economically viable, environmentally friendly, and simple to construct. Solar energy is 7% more efficient than coal or oil-fired power plants and 10% more efficient than nuclear power plants. It is frequently used in appliances such as heaters, crop dryers, and cookers. Gujarat and Rajasthan in western India have the greatest potential for solar energy development.

Conclusion

The difficulty of sustainable development is to reconcile economic growth with environmental concerns. Traditional resource management practices generate significant amounts of waste and contribute to other environmental challenges. Thus, sustainable growth necessitates the safeguarding of resources for future generations. There is an immediate need for resource conservation. Alternative energy sources such as solar, wind, wave, and geothermal are an infinite resource. These should be created to compensate for the depletion of finite resources. In the case of metallic minerals, the use of discarded metals enables metal recycling. Scrap is especially important in metals such as copper, lead, and zinc, where India’s stocks are depleted. Utilization of replacements for precious metals may also contribute to their reduction in consumption. Exports of strategic and scarce minerals must be curtailed in order to extend the life of the current stockpile.